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To reduce the number of welding and brazing procedure qualifications required base metals
have been assigned P-Numbers by the ASME BPVC. Ferrous metals which have specified
impact test requirements have been assigned Group Numbers within P-Numbers.
These assignments have been based on comparable base metal characteristics, such as:
Composition
Weldability
Brazeability
Mechanical Properties
When a base metal with a UNS number Designation is assigned a P-Number, then a base
metal listed in a different ASME material specification with the same UNS number shall be
considered that P-Number.
The table below is a guide and is for instructive purposes only. Anyone specifying materials or
requirements should refer directly to the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code to specify
materials, P-Numbers, procedures, or other requirements and not rely on the table below.
The table below is only a rather incomplete and approximate summary of ASME data.
P-Numbers Base Metal (Typical or Example)
1 Carbon Manganese Steels (four Group Numbers)
2 Not Used
3 Half Molybdenum or half Chromium, half Molybdenum (three Group Numbers)
4 One and a quarter Chromium, half Molybdenum (two Group Numbers)
5A Two and a quarter Chromium, one Molybdenum
Five Chromium, half Molybdenum or nine Chromium, one Molybdenum (two
5B
Group Numbers)
5C Chromium, Molybdenum, Vanadium (five Group Numbers)
6 Martensitic Stainless Steels (Grade 410, 415, 429) (six Group Numbers)
7 Ferritic Stainless Steels (Grade 409, 430)
This is a general guide ASME P numbers and their equivalent EN288 groupings. Groups referred to in the Base Metal column
are ASME sub groups. EN288 material groups are included for comparison only.
2 - Not Used
3 4 3 Sub Groups:- Typically half moly and half chrome half moly
4 5 2 Sub Groups:- Typically one and a quarter chrome half moly
5A 5 Typically two and a quarter chrome one moly
5B 5 2 Sub Groups:- Typically five chrome half moly and nine chrome one moly
5C 6 5 Sub Groups:- Chrome moly vanadium
6 8 6 Sub Groups:- Martensitic Stainless Steels Typically Grade 410
7 8 Ferritic Stainless Steels Typically Grade 409
Austenitic Stainless Steels, 4 Sub groups